On Saturday morning, the University of Redlands men's water polo program jumped out to an early lead and rode it all of the way to an 11-7 triumph over the Cal Lutheran University Kingsmen. The Bulldogs benefited from a diverse attack and a solid defensive effort en route to the four-goal victory.
The Maroon and Gray started the game out firing on all cylinders, and by the end of the first period, owned a 5-2 advantage. The Kingsmen fought back in the second stanza cutting the Bulldogs' lead to just two, as Redlands headed into the third period with a 7-5 lead.
A solid defensive showing proved to be crucial in the third stanza, as Redlands shutout the Kingsmen and scored two of its own to extend its lead to four. Two more goals in the fourth and final period secured the contest for the Bulldogs, resulting in the 11-7 win.
Junior driver Clint Freeman (Brentwood, CA) and sophomore driver Michael Robinson (Corona, CA) paced the Bulldog attack, tallying three goals apiece. Additionally, both added an assist while Robinson tallied two steals and Freeman notched three ejections drawn.
Junior center-defender Christian Ogawa (Mira Mesa, CA) added two goals on the day while junior driver Quinn Curl (San Mateo, CA), sophomore driver David Sekula (LaGrange, IL) and freshman driver Paul Smallman each notched one score in the match.
Impressive between the pipes, junior goalkeeper Tyler Abbott (Alta Loma, CA) came up with 12 big-time saves, taming the Kingsmen offense throughout the entirety of the contest.
Redlands (4-19, 2-4) returns to action at 7 p.m. on October 31 when it travels to Caltech for another Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) contest.
